He Didn't Think This Through
by ProfessionalCatFan
Summary: Noticing how troubled Souji seems, Yosuke tries to help him feel better. What's the first thing that comes to mind? A massage!


_This is a short one-shot I wrote for a prompt on tumblr. The prompt was: "Do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?" with the pairing Souyo. This is my first time writing Souyo, so I hope this is okay._

 _I'm a bit worried about this fanfic... I couldn't think of what to write, and for a while I was just starting sentences and then deleting them because I couldn't write anything I liked. But I enjoyed writing it once I decided how to continue, and I'm really glad it's finally finished. I hope you enjoy reading this. :)_

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Entering the tv world during that rainy day might not have been the best idea. The shadows, while usually more aggressive when it rained, seemed to be attacking frequently and in bigger groups, a contrast to the bright blue sky and the rainbows scattered throughout the scenery.

After climbing only a few floors and a particularly tough battle, Souji stopped the Investigation Team and said they should take a break. They wouldn't be able to save Nanako if they overworked themselves and got hurt, after all. Rise pointed out a safe area was just up ahead, so the group agreed to rest there for a little while.

Yosuke leaned back against pale brick wall, sighing. He felt more tired than usual: he and everyone else had been especially determined to get through this dungeon, and the exhaustion was starting to show. He almost didn't want to admit it, but he was grateful for the break.

He could see the others spaced around the room. Yukiko was discussing something with Chie, Rise seemed to be scanning the area, Naoto was inspecting her weapon, and Teddie was pestering Kanji. It took Yosuke a few moments to realise he couldn't see Souji anywhere.

He spotted him further away from the group, pacing back and forth. He looked anxious, with his brow furrowed together and his eyes on the floor. While Souji tried to seem as calm as ever, he must have been more worried about Nanako than anyone else.

Yosuke parted from the wall and walked towards him.

"Hey, partner. Are you all right?" Yosuke asked when he was just a few steps away from Souji. He crossed his arms, trying to make the question sound casual and failing.

Souji looked up, as if he had only just noticed Yosuke. His smile was somewhat strained. "I'm fine, Yosuke. Don't worry."

"Right."

The following silence felt awkward. Souji, rather than continue with his pacing, seemed to just stare at the wall in thought. Yosuke dug his fingers into his arm. In all honesty, he was worried. Souji hadn't been talking to him or the other members of the Investigation Team as much as normal. Even when they called him or invited him out he just seemed distracted, and he was obviously pushing himself throughout this dungeon. Yosuke was surprised Souji had suggested they take a break at all.

"Hey, er, did you hurt yourself?" Yosuke asked. In response to Souji's questioning expression he continued with, "You kept grabbing your shoulder when we were fighting those shadows, and you looked like you were holding back a bit."

"Oh." Souji seemed a little embarrassed. He glanced to the side, gripping at his shoulder again though he didn't seem to realise. "I think I pulled my shoulder during the fight. Don't worry, it's nothing."

"Yeah, I can tell," Yosuke muttered.

Souji didn't reply. He simply lowered his gaze, as if he felt guilty. Yosuke suppressed a groan. He was supposed to cheer Souji up, not make him feel worse. A sense of guilt stabbed at him. Not wanting to end the conversation like this, he stammered the first thing that came to his panicked mind.

"Do you... well... I mean..." He wasn't entirely sure why he said what he did. The only explanation he could think of was that he was still focused on Souji's injured shoulder. Even so, the moment he said these words he wanted to kick himself. "I could give you a massage?"

Souji blinked at him, probably wondering if he had misheard.

"A massage?"

"Well, yeah." There was no point in backtracking now. He'd already said it, after all. "I mean, you hurt your shoulder. A massage would probably be good for that, you know?"

Yosuke decided not to mention that he had no idea how to give a massage in the first place. He had seen that sort of thing on television before, but something told him it wouldn't be as easy as it looked.

Souji thought about it for a moment. Yosuke wasn't sure what to feel when he eventually nodded.

"Okay then. If you think so." Souji's expression betrayed no emotion beyond mild surprise. "Should I sit down, or...?"

"Oh, um, yeah. Sit down."

So Souji sat down, and Yosuke knelt behind him. He raised his hands just above Souji's shoulders, not entirely sure what to do and feeling very awkward. His face was probably bright red from embarrassment alone.

 _Well, here goes nothing,_ Yosuke thought, and he clamped his hands down on Souji's shoulder.

After a long series of pained gasps and apologies, Yosuke settled on firmly rubbing his hands on Souji's shoulders in what he presumed were relaxing movements. At the very least, Souji wasn't nearly as tense as when he first started. After continuing with this for a few more moments, he finally let his arms fall back to his side.

"Does that, um, feel any better?"

Souji had shifted and turned to face him when he stopped, and upon hearing the question Souji moved his shoulder around. He flinched slightly.

"Yes. It feels much better," he said.

"You don't have to lie." Yosuke slumped down into a cross-legged position, wishing the ground would swallow him. Though he had expected this, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. "Sorry. I didn't think I was going to be that bad at it."

"No. I appreciate it, Yosuke. Really." Souji sounded genuine. Yosuke, suddenly feeling embarrassed for a different reason, quickly looked away. He could feel his face turning red again.

"Yeah. No problem." Yosuke scratched at the back of his neck. He might as well say it, before he lost his nerve. "Hey, Souji, I know you're trying to get through this as quickly as possible. I mean, come on, we all know you're worried sick about Nanako-chan. But if you just try to power through this place without thinking then you're just going to get really hurt. Aren't you the one who said we won't be able to save Nanako-chan if we overworked ourselves?"

Souji hesitated. He seemed almost stunned by Yosuke's words.

"I know." Souji's voice was quiet. "I know. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologise. Just... don't hide it if you get hurt again, okay?" Yosuke climbed to his feet, his actions followed by Souji's curious gaze.

"Come on, partner. Let's go back to the others." Yosuke offered his hand down to Souji. Souji gripped it after a short moment and let Yosuke pull him to his feet.


End file.
